ASRock has released an official statement regarding the upcoming release of new BIOS versions that will add support for future Ryzen 3000 processors to older Socket AM4 motherboards. The company does not announce such support among the first to do so; however, unlike other manufacturers, ASRock explains that some motherboards, such as those based on the A320 chipset, will not work with all Ryzen 3000 processors, and updating the BIOS to AGESA version 0.0.7.0 or 0.0.7.2 does not guarantee full compatibility with Zen 2.
Major motherboard manufacturers have long started distributing BIOS updates for boards with X470, B450, X370, B350, and A320 chipsets, based on AGESA versions 0.0.7.0 or 0.0.7.2. These libraries include microcode for the expected desktop Socket AM4 Ryzen 3000 processors, and it is not surprising that most manufacturers state in the release notes of the updated firmware 'support for next-generation Ryzen processors.'
However, from ASRock's explanation, it becomes clear that Ryzen 3000 processors are divided into two fundamentally different subgroups: one consisting of 7nm process technology and Zen 2 architecture Matisse processors, and the other Picasso—12nm processors with integrated Vega graphics based on Zen+ architecture. Despite the widespread adoption of new AGESA libraries, compatibility with both Matisse and Picasso is guaranteed only for motherboards based on the X470, B450, X370, and B350 chipsets, while A320 motherboards will only work with Picasso family representatives and will not support Matisse.
Such limitations are likely to apply to motherboards from other manufacturers as well, confirming previously circulated information that Socket AM4 motherboards based on the A320 chipset will not receive support for future Ryzen processors based on Zen 2 architecture. However, this limitation is unlikely to be a major issue, as such boards are mostly OEM products, while enthusiast systems will likely use solutions based on higher-tier chipsets.
The complete list of BIOS versions that ASRock motherboards gain support for Ryzen 3000 is as follows:
| ASRock | Processor Support | BIOS Versions |
|---|---|---|
| X470 | Ryzen 3000 | P3.30, P3.40 |
| B450 | Ryzen 3000 | P3.10, P3.30, P3.40, P3.80 |
| X370 | Ryzen 3000 | P5.40, P5.60, P5.30, P5.80, P5.70 |
| B350 | Ryzen 3000 | P5.80, P5.90, P1.20, P1.40, P2.00, P3.10 |
| A320 | Ryzen 3000 — APU only | P1.30, P1.10, P5.90, P1.70, P3.10, P5.80, P1.90 |
There are two more nuances that ASRock mentions, which are important for those planning to update the BIOS to the new versions supporting Ryzen 3000. First, a successful update requires that the motherboard has a previously installed BIOS version based on AGESA code 1.0.0.6. Secondly, after updating to the new BIOS versions, rolling back to previous firmware becomes impossible.
The official announcement of Picasso processors, including Ryzen 5 3400G and Ryzen 3 3200G, as well as Athlon 300GE and 320GE, is planned for the coming weeks and is likely to occur at the upcoming Computex exhibition. Meanwhile, Matisse processors based on the Zen 2 architecture are expected to be released later, with several sources indicating July 7 as the anticipated announcement date.
Source: 3dnews.ru
